from www.cadillacnews.com – An educator for the Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old student.

On Tuesday, Janet Brown, 32, of Evart, was arraigned on three counts of felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct related to an alleged sexual relationship with a male student, who attended the Ashmun School on the Eagle Village campus in Hersey.

Curtis Finch, superintendent for the MOISD, said the investigation that uncovered the relationship began on Nov. 19 when the district became aware of what was originally believed to be “inappropriate communication” between Brown and the student.

“We began investigating what had occurred, and once we learned it was more than just communication, we contacted state police,” said Finch.

The educational component of the private residential Eagle Village Youth Detention Center is run through the MOISD, where Brown was assigned to the Ashmun School. Finch said the district hired Brown last year and that she had passed a background check. She had previously been employed by Cadillac Area Public Schools.

The teacher-student relationship was uncovered while the school was on break last week when the student involved was found to be in possession of a cell phone.

The teen residents of Eagle Village are not allowed to have cell phones, and the phone was confiscated. Finch said it was through cell phone messages that the possible impropriety in the teacher-student relationship was initially discovered.

Brown was put on administrative leave on Nov. 21, and on Monday, troopers from the Michigan State Police Mt. Pleasant Post arrested Brown, according to a statement from MSP.

Brown was transported to the Osceola County Jail, where she was held until her arraignment Tuesday.

Citing her lifelong ties to the Evart community and her responsibilities as a mother of three young children, Brown’s attorney James Talaske requested bond be set for his client.

Osceola County magistrate Dan Clise set bond at $50,000, ordering Brown to remain in the area and to have no contact with the student.

Finch said that the joint effort of the MOISD and Eagle Village to determine what had occurred between the student and teacher helped expedite the investigation, which Finch said the school believes is an isolated incident between Brown and the student and that no other staff or students were involved.

“The safety and well being of our students is our priority, and we were determined to take action to protect our students above all else,” said Finch.

Brown posted bail and remains on administrative leave from her position at the MOISD.

If convicted of the felony charges, Brown could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, undergo mandatory AIDS/STD testing and be required to appear on the Michigan State Sex Offender Registry.